


The Reason Why

by tabbytabbytabby



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Feelings Realization, Forehead Touching, Good Theo Raeken, Hurt Theo Raeken, Hurt/Comfort, Love Confessions, M/M, Protective Liam Dunbar
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-29
Updated: 2020-12-29
Packaged: 2021-03-10 23:09:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,283
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28415166
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tabbytabbytabby/pseuds/tabbytabbytabby
Summary: Liam is hit with more than a few questions and realizations when Theo gets hurt protecting him.
Relationships: Liam Dunbar/Theo Raeken
Comments: 16
Kudos: 147





	The Reason Why

**Author's Note:**

  * For [EdgeOfMyDesiree](https://archiveofourown.org/users/EdgeOfMyDesiree/gifts).



Blood pounds in Liam's ears, making it hard to focus on anything else. Blood. So much blood. Pumping through his veins. Spilled out across the cold concrete when it should still be warm and inside. 

It's not his. That might have made it easier. He might be able to stomach it then. 

As it is, he's having trouble standing. His legs are shaking beneath him, unsteady, as he waits. As if the wrong bit of news could send him crashing to the floor. And it very well could. 

Liam's angry. No, he's pissed. How dare Theo to do this to him? How dare he jump in front of the rogue omega that was heading right for Liam? Who the hell does he think he is? Why does he keep doing stupid shit like this and trying to save him? And why does Liam care so much every time he sees Theo hurt like this?

_ You know why _ , a voice that sounds a little too much like Mason’s sounds in his head. Trust his best friend always to be an annoying voice of reason. He glares across the room at where Mason is sitting next to Corey. Mason raises an eyebrow. “I don’t see why you’re looking at me like that. I’m not the one dying upstairs.”

Liam growls, and Mason holds up his hands. “Dude, I was kidding.”

“He’s not dying,” Liam mutters.

“Of course he’s not,” Corey says patiently.

“If you’re so worried, why not go see him?” Mason questions.

“I’m not worried,” Liam grits out. 

Mason snorts, “Right, and that’s why you’re pacing a hole in your parent’s living room floor.”

Liam makes himself stop and take a deep breath, but all that does is make the smell of blood stronger. Blood and pain and fear. He focuses his hearing, trying to get a read on what’s happening upstairs. 

“Theo, you need to stay still,” Scott is saying.

“No, I need to get downstairs,” Theo says. “Liam…”

“Liam is fine,” Scott says. “But you’re not. If we don’t get this claw out soon…”

“I don’t care!” Theo shouts.

Liam frowns. His feet are on the stairs, taking him up to Theo’s room before he can really think about it. He stops outside the door. Scott is trying to hold Theo down on the bed while Derek stands over him, a pair of forceps in his hand.

“What the hell are you doing?” Liam asks.

“We’re trying to get this claw out. It must have gotten stuck when the omega attacked him,” Scott says. “But someone isn’t cooperating.”

“Not you,” Liam says. “Him.” He steps into the room and moves to Theo’s other side. “Why are you being such a pain in the ass about this?”

“You’re okay,” Theo says, looking up at him. He looks like hell. His hair is a mess and sticking to his damp skin, which is far too pale. There’s blood splattered across his face and down his neck. Liam knows if he looks down further, he’ll see a lot more on his claw marked skin.

Liam’s heart clenches in his chest. He’s suddenly torn between punching Theo in his stupid attractive face and kissing him. He settles for carding a hand through Theo’s hair. Black veins run up his arm, but he barely notices the pain, too focused on Theo and the way he starts to relax under Liam’s touch. He doesn’t look away as he addresses Derek.

“Okay, do it.”

Scott holds Theo down as Derek moves closer, preparing to take the claw out. It’s not going to be easy. Theo’s wounds have already started trying to heal. Theo cries out, and his body jerks when Derek starts trying to get the claw out. 

“Shh, just stay still,” Liam tells him.

“You try staying still when someone is stabbing their claws inside you,” Theo mutters. 

“Well, he would have to do that if you would have let him get the claw out sooner,” Liam says. “Or, you know, if you hadn’t been stupid and got in the omegas way.”

“If I hadn’t, it could have killed you,” Theo hisses.

“Yeah, and it could have killed you too,” Liam says, glaring down at him. “Did you even think of that?”

“No, because I only cared about saving you.”

“Why? Why do you keep trying to save me?”

“Because I love you!”

The room goes silent, apart from Theo’s panting breaths. Liam’s distantly aware of Derek and Scott muttering something before leaving the room, but all he can focus on is Theo. The chimera's eyes are closed, and he has his head turned away from Liam. 

“The claw’s out,” he says finally. “You can go.”

Liam frowns, “Go?”

“Leave, Liam.”

“Why would I leave?” Liam asks, confused. Theo really just wants him to leave after what he said? Unless he hadn’t meant it. “Look, if it’s about what you said. I get that you didn’t mean it and were just in pain, so if…”

Theo laughs, and it sounds wrong, hollow. “I meant what I said, Liam.”

“Then why do you want me to go?”

“Why do you want to stay?” Theo counters. 

And that’s the question, isn’t it? One of many, at least. He’s riddled with questions tonight. About Theo. About himself. Each answer leaves him with more questions. When Theo said he loves him, Liam hadn’t been surprised. Not really. What had surprised him was the way it made him feel to hear it. Not afraid or angry or bad because he had to let Theo down. No, he just felt  _relieved._

Why does Liam want to stay? Why had it made Liam so angry to see Theo hurt? Why does his heart skip when Theo smiles, and ache when he has to watch him leave? 

The answer is there, staring him right in the face. Much the same as Theo is doing. But he doesn’t push him. Not about this. He waits, letting Theo figure this out on his own. 

When Liam does, he sits heavily on the bed next to Theo. His hand is still in Theo’s hair, but he makes no move to drop it. He rakes his nails against Theo’s scalp, watching as his eyes flutter closed and his mouth parts on a breath of his name. “Liam.”

“I love you,” Liam whispers. He knows Theo hears him. He can tell by the way his heart skips and his breath hitches. By the way his eyes open and meet his. And Theo _is_ surprised. That much is apparent. 

“You…?”

“I love you,” Liam repeats. Tears are stinging in his eyes, half from relief and half happiness. “That’s why I’m staying. And it’s why I get so damn angry at you whenever you pull some self-sacrificing bullshit. Because I’m afraid I’m going to lose you. I _can’t_ lose you.”

“I can’t lose you either,” Theo whispers. “That’s why I keep pulling the self-sacrificing bullshit.”

Liam rests his head against Theo’s, “You’re not going to stop, are you?”

“Not as long as you keep putting yourself in danger,” Theo tells him.

“Then I guess we’re at an impasse,” Liam says.

“Guess so.”

Liam sighs, “So where does that leave us?”

“I won’t stop trying to keep you safe,” Theo says. “But I will try and be more careful. If you will.”

Liam knows that neither of them are going to stop running into danger, or doing what they have to protect each other. But maybe, just maybe, they can be a little less reckless. “I can do that.”

Theo smiles and takes Liam’s face in his hands. “Good.”

And what else can Liam do in this moment but kiss him? So he does.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Kudos/comments make my day 💜  
> [My tumblr](http://tabbytabbytabby.tumblr.com/)


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